1982 - Perot and Coburn of the U.S. complete the first around-the-world flight in a helicopter.

1981

July 7, 1981 - Solar Challenger flew 163 miles (262 km) across the English Channel from Paris to England.

June 1981 - February 1983 - NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility flight tested and evaluated the digitally controlled engine of the F-15.

April 12-14, 1981 - Launch of STS-1, the first test flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia (John Young, Bob Crippen). The mission was the first to employ both liquid- and solid-propellant rocket engines for the launch of a spacecraft carrying humans.

1981 - Double Eagle V: First balloon flight over the Pacific Ocean.

1980

November 11, 1980 - Voyager 1 flies past Saturn on a journey that carries it beyond the edge of the solar system.

November - Solar Challenger: First solar powered plane flew.

March 7, 1980 - NASA research pilot John Manke tested the Gossamer Albatross to collect data on large lightweight craft .

February 14, 1980 - Solar Maximum Mission was the first satellite to study the Sun in detail.